Federal regulators released the final version of the MDS3.0 on Thursday, a week before they will hold a special, informational OpenDoor Forum on it.

Unlike past Open Door Forums, the Centers for Medicare& Medicaid Services is requesting advance registration for next week’ssession. Registration will close at 3 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Wednesday (Jan.23). Extra phone lines have been added to accommodate the anticipated highvolume of participants.

According to an introduction to the MDS 3.0 found onCMS’s website, “revisions have been based on feedback from MDS users,resident advocates and families, input from subject-area experts, and newknowledge and evidence about resident assessment.

“MDS 3.0 aims to increase the clinical relevance,accuracy and efficiency of assessments, obtain information directly fromresidents, include assessment items used in other care-settings, and move itemstoward future electronic health record formats,” according to anintroduction to MDS 3.0 on the CMS Web site.

 

Next on the MDS 3.0 timeline is the MDS 2.0/MDS 3.0crosswalk to states, providers and vendors, scheduled for sometime this spring.The latest MDS 3.0 documents can be viewed athttp://www.cms.hhs.gov/NursingHomeQualityInits/Downloads/MDS30DraftVersion.pdf